Smartphone and video games 'help parents to bond with children'

Playing video games and using smartphones are helping parents and children
bond, according to new university research.

Four in five parents described playing video games with their children as “quality time”, while 32 per cent of parents play computer games with their kids every day.

More than 3,000 parents and grandparents took part in the poll, which was conducted by Goldsmiths University and PopCap, a gaming company, and found that 22 per cent of mums and dads said that playing computer games has helped their children develop a better understanding of technology.

The study also found that the growth casual games has meant that children as young as two are becoming proficient in the use of smartphones and other tablet devices.

Over a quarter of parents (27 per cent) said that their children borrowed their smartphone or tablet device every day to play casual games.

Many grandparents revealed that they play video games with their tech-savvy grandchildren, in a bid to get closer to them.

Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Reader in Psychology at Goldsmiths said: "These findings are important because they highlight the social benefits of playing videogames.

“Previous research has tended to look only at the individual effects of video games, but in the era of social networking games appear to play a vital role in enhancing social relationships. The fact that both parents and grandparents are using games to connect with their children and grandchildren, and quite successfully, suggests that video games can improve social skills and make a key contribution to both effective parenting and child development."